With the success of the Star Trek films and Star Trek: The Next Generation, a licensing office associated with the productions took stricter control of the franchise's image. Writers of Star Trek publications were discouraged from creating depictions that varied from the style and details of the franchise, as seen in filmed productions. Previous novels of the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s tend to vary from canon more than later series. Since most novels are produced by editors and writers not affiliated with franchise production staff, filmed productions generally regard the events and situations in most novelizations as completely apocryphal.

It should be noted that certain publications written by creators of Star Trek's various series are sometimes referenced in later episodes of those series. Somewhat paradoxically, the novels themselves remain apocryphal in such cases, while whatever information was mentioned on-screen becomes canon.